Cycling News & Blog Articles

Challenge Tires are the most highly regarded tyre manufacturer when it comes to their cyclocross offerings. Ridden to many World Cup victories by pro-riders such as Helen Wyman, Tom Pidcock and Thibau Nys, as well as thousands of amateur enthusiasts all over the world in winter cyclocross leagues, they are famed for having a tyre […]

The post Grab A Coffee – 5 Minutes with Challenge Tires and A Look At Their Gravel Range appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Rob is in charge of E-Commerce here at Merlin however, he also has a real love for riding his Santa Cruz Megatower. But what makes riding the thing that it is for Rob and where did it all begin? From getting his firs to spending a whole — weeks in Whistler, we sat down with […]

The post GET TO KNOW MERLIN’S STAFF – ROB AND HIS SANTA CRUZ appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Fox have just released their new Podium fork. Featuring reverse stanchions and bigger crowns, they’re not your average suspension forks. But what’s actually behind this unique design and what do we at Merlin think? What’s behind the product Fox’s aim with the Podium was to make their lowest-friction fork possible. To attempt this they adopted […]

The post New Fox Podium Fork – Worth All The Hype? appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

With the biggest race in the road cycling calendar fast approaching, we thought it fitting to give our view of this prestigious event from the perspective of its neighbouring discipline – mountain biking. While we can’t be certain Tour De France fans will agree with everything this blog has to say, we can be sure […]

The post A Mountain Biker’s Guide to the Tour De France appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Merlin has new arrivals in for this month but what will they mean for your summer riding? Whether it’s a season of downhill you’re prepping for or you’re struggling to find the right tyre, get prepped for the longer evenings and warmer days with this blog. Rockshox Vivid Ultimate RC2 Coil Rear Shock The Vivid […]

The post New June Arrivals In At Merlin appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

As both a blog writer and a keen mountain bike rider, I decided to interview myself as part of our Get to Know Merlin’s Staff series. What got you into riding? My first balance bike at three started my love for bikes but it was inspirations like Danny Macaskill and Fabio Wibmer who really made […]

The post Get To Know Merlin’s Staff: Lucas and his Nukeproof appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Zipp are renound for their carbon wheels spanning across all riding disciplines from track to triathlon. But which take our fancy here at Merlin and what will they mean for your riding? Zipp 303 SW The Zipp 303 SW is a classic carbon road rim with capabilities for gravel, cobbles and even cyclocross racing. Featuring […]

The post Zipp Wheels: Now Fresh in at Merlin appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Smith Optics have a fresh collection of both gravel and MTB helmets in at Merlin. But what is it you actually need in a helmet and which one is right for you? Engage MIPS MTB Helmet The Engage helmet is Smith’s budget friendly MTB lid that still packs a punch when it comes to protection. […]

The post Protection at its peak: Smith’s new helmet collection appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Paul is our general manager here at Merlin as well as a member of The Merlin Cycles Rivington Brewing Co. Racing Team. At the weekend, his result from the UCI Gravel World Series round at The Gralloch, Scotland put him into a qualifying position ready for the world championships in the Netherlands this October. But […]

The post Get to Know Merlin’s Staff – Paul and his Ridley appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

These clever but compact devices are a significant alternative to your traditional hand pumps, but are they really worth replacing the trust-worthy pump you already have? Our range at Merlin features four competitive brands, but which will give you piece of mind when out on the trails? Could electric be the new answer to your […]

The post YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND OUT ON THE TRAILS – ELECTRIC MINI PUMPS AT MERLIN appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Merlin is home to an expansive range of kit for gravelling. But with so much to choose from, what has taken our fancy recently? Crono CKX3 Knitted Gravel Shoes Crono created their knitted shoes with long rides in mind. Its strong and resistant Knit fabric boasts strength, breathability and comfort. On the other hand, the […]

The post GEAR UP FOR GRAVEL – NEW FAVOURITES AT MERLIN appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

At Merlin, we are big into bikes. For this reason, we have put together our collection of custom builds ready to order. Chosen by riders, for riders, these bikes offer all those next level components you wish you had with a stock bike. Here, you can find your ultimate bike without breaking the bank. Ridley […]

The post Fresh Looks Are Here – Custom Builds in at Merlin appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Stan’s tubeless technology has stocked the shelves here at Merlin Cycles for some time now. But what’s behind the brand that pioneered the use of tubeless tyres as we know it today? We sat down with Pete Hunt at Stan’s to find out. Stan’s, as people know it today, was originally a personal passion project […]

The post What you didn’t know about Stans – Grab a Coffee appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

The weekend before last, I headed to the famous Wharncliffe woods in Sheffield to ride one of its most technical features: The Skipper. Built by James Pettitt, this line is not only pretty intimidating, but a work of art in itself. This staff story looks at the jump behind more 70K likes on Merlin’s Insagram […]

The post Staff Stories: the MTB rock jump liked by 70 thousand people. appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Healey Nab, located between Chorley and Anglezarke reservoir, has been home to official mountain bike trails since 2008. After much success as a riding spot for 12 years, it was in 2020 that the trees were felled due to cases of Sudden Larch Death. This put an end to the trails that were once there. […]

The post Your new favourite trails? Dig days at Healey Nab appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

A batch of fresh felts have landed at Merlin and we’re super excited. Originally developed in the US over two decades ago, Felt have grown as a brand to cater for all cycling disciplines. They have a true enthusiasm for riding as well as a clear need for speed which is why we were keen […]

The post New at Merlin – Fresh Felts appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

From 3D printed saddles to one of the leading groupsets in the gravel bike industry, this month’s arrivals are full of variety. This is the place to catch your next buys. Cinelli Pressure Bike The Cinelli Pressure is our first fresh arrival in at Merlin and it shouts speed. Its aerodynamic and drag resistant design […]

The post April Arrivals – New in to Merlin appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Troy Lee Designs is already known for being top of the MTB clothing game through their sponsored athletes such as Brandon Semenuk and Brendan Fairclough. Through this blog, we’ll explore new arrivals as well as original products with fresh looks. Stage Full Face Helmet The stage helmet is a real game changer to Troy Lee […]

The post Discovering Troy Lee Designs’ Epic New Range appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Over the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd of March, 6 members of the Merlin Cycles Rivington Brewing Co. Racing Team headed to Belgium with the aim of attacking the UCI Gravel World Series at Turnhout, Belgium. With the plan of qualifying for the UCI Gravel World Championships in September it was a weekend of […]

The post Attacking the UCI Gravel World Series at Turnhout, Belgium appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

With the race season nearing, what should you actually be doing to make sure you’re at your best between the tape? 100% Brisker Cold Weather Gloves These 100% gloves have been a long favourite of mine for their combination of function and comfort when the conditions are cold. I put this down to their insulated […]

The post Race season prep is tough – Here’s how to get ready with Merlin appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.